


What a Rough Place to Start

by InnapropriateWordChoice



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Borderline Personality Disorder, College, Identity Issues, M/M, Pre-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-02-08 10:53:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1938168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnapropriateWordChoice/pseuds/InnapropriateWordChoice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick knew the Governor a long time before they met that time to 'discuss strategy'. In fact, they knew each other before Rick had even met Lori, back in college. </p>
<p>Rick and Shane are BFFs, Shane isn't psychotic because the apocalypse hasn't happened yet, and he's always got Rick's back, so when Rick gets flustered and red over the new kid in their chem class, Shane makes it a point to set them up. Rick really wants to make this relationship with Brian work out. </p>
<p>Basically a more expanded look at the Governor, somewhat influenced by the book "Road to Woodbury" and stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this is looking to be maybe around 11-13 chapters? At a rough estimate. Some of the tags are liable to change as I take creative liberties. Warning: Brian's older brother really sucks.

The car came to a silent stop as the group reached their destination. _Yeah, wherever that is._ Nobody said anything; the entire trip had been eerily silent as the group prepared. This was not just any normal ‘run’ for food or ammo, this was a serious meeting, and none of them were quite sure what to anticipate.

Rick was most definitely not excited about meeting the infamous ‘Governor’. Right now, he was on his way to go up to some old shack. He was accompanied by Daryl, Hershel and a perturbed Andrea, their liaison- for a meeting which Andrea had arranged. Supposedly the two elected group leaders, Rick and this... Governor, would have a calm, civilized discussion in order to avoid further conflicts. Ideally, this little meeting would create a beneficial relationship between the two groups, a beginning to a series of negotiations which could eventually lead to peace. Or at least coexisting.

 _It’s too late for that,_ Rick predicted. _It’s been too late ever since Michonne and Andrea walked into that town. This guy’s nuts- and th’ way he tortured Glenn and... jaysus, I don’t even wanna think about what he did to poor Maggie.... this ‘meeting’ is just a show, and everyone ‘cept Andrea knows it_. His face furrowed in regret at the idea that all of this was for nothing. Nevertheless, there was no use in not trying whatsoever.

The cop sighed as they loaded up they piled out of the car and uneasily made their way toward the neutral meeting point, presumably chosen by Andrea. Rick looked at each member of the party in turn, partly to get a sense of how they were coping, and partly in relief that he had _some_ levelheaded people he could bring.

Daryl got riled up pretty easily. _But I trust him. And he trusts me,_ Rick knew that he wouldn’t try anything rash without Rick’s say so. Right now, Daryl looked somewhat at ease, though definitely not relaxed. He wore an expression of concentration and thought, _he knows just as well as me that this whole thing is a hoax, and he ain’t gonna get upset over nothin’._ Rick gave a brief smile as he watched the hunter stalk ahead of the group, and then turned his attention to the blonde.

Andrea seemed pretty tense. Too tense. _I guess th’t deep down, she knows this ain’t gonna work,_ Rick realized with regret. _Poor thang. She’s had a rough time recently._ Everyone was just trying to do their best to cope in the mess that their world had become.

Finally Rick’s focus shifted to Hershel, the wise old man with a steady mind- the person with whom Rick had formed a father-son type of bond over the past months. _If I can count on anyone, it’s Hershel_ , he studied the older man thoughtfully, _he’s got a good head on his shoulders. I don’t know what I would do without him- he shoulda been in charge of this group; not me. I always seem tah just make a bigger mess outta thangs..._

As the group traipsed toward the small collection of buildings –keeping a wary eye out for walkers- Daryl tightened his grip on his crossbow, jaw clenched. He didn’t say anything, but then again he wasn’t really much of a talker. Rick knew he was just as agitated as himself, suddenly a little more worried about the possible outcomes –the future- controlled by this mission. Rick fingered his own weapon warily; he would never have walked into this unarmed. He took out his gun and double-checked that it was loaded and had the safety off- better safe than sorry. An annoying little thought nagged at the back of Ricks mind, _maybe it’s just a trap- a trap, and you’ll all be killed, and the entire group left leaderless,_ but he pushed it away. _No, from whatever I’ve heard, this guy wouldn’tah done this to Andrea,_ he reassured himself.

Rick cleared his throat, “Y’all wait out here,” he said hoarsely. Andrea pointed him toward a rusted old house as the others began to disperse. The people from the other group had evidently already arrived, as Rick sized up the two men waiting outside. A man with a pale complexion and thick glasses and some other tough-looking guy were introduced briefly to Hershel and Daryl as Andrea told Rick that the Governor was already inside. Hershel and Daryl broke away from Rick to warily join – and guard- the two others.

Rick went into the creaky old house with Andrea, and as he entered he saw that the Governor really has set everything up. The sheriff was drawn to a table with a couple of chairs. As he made his way over stiffly, his gaze fell on a shadowed man with his back turned to them. Rick made a coughing sound to make his presence known, _dang, he seems strange,_ and despite his better judgment, he found himself thinking, _I really hope we can sort thangs out..._

Responding to their entrance, the Governor turned around slowly, a stony look on his face. Seeing the Governor’s face for the first time, Rick choked, and all of the color suddenly drained from his face. His eyes were wide, but the other man’s one eye was even wider min shock. Sputtering, Rick hastily told Andrea to _leave_ , get out _now_ before he moved staggeringly to sit down.

The Governor stumbled as well as he made his way to the other free chair to sit across from Rick, and he stammered, unable to speak- his eyebrows furrowed dangerously and in complete confusion- as if he were reliving a lost memory from another life altogether .

As Rick’s eyes raked over him again, he finally managed to gain control of his tongue. His throat was suddenly dry again, and he had to cough once more before he could get anything to come out. When he was finally able to speak, it was a question.

“...B-Brian?” he stuttered, his hands trembling and face a picture of utter shock.

The question cut brokenly through the silence. It was unanswered for several minutes as the two men stared at each other, speechless until a single tear rolled down Brian’s cheek.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the first part of the college flashback!

**~Fifteen years ago~**

 

 

 

“ _Dude!_ Check it _out!”_

“What, Shane?” Rick sighed as he responded to his best friend.

Shane waved a crinkled slip of pink paper in front of the other man’s face, “Guess who just scored Ashley’s number?” Shane winked as he pointed in the general direction of the redhead who sat across the room in their shared chemistry class.

Rick raised a skeptical eyebrow, “Really? Well that’s good for you,” he sighed again in exasperation, “Well, I guess now we know that she has lower standards than we ‘xpected,” he added with a sly grin. Shane was an _unbearable_ player, but Rick always put up with him and his shenanigans. After all, they had known each other since kindergarten, and had become inseparable since the eighth grade.

 _Wow that sure was a long time ago,_ Rick reflected. Eighth grade had been when Rick had finally mustered enough courage to admit something very personal to himself, and then later to his closest friend. _And look at us now,_ he thought with a smile, as he absentmindedly listened to Shane ramble about Ashley, about their awful science teacher, Mrs. Kirsh, and the rigorous training program all cops-in-training had to pass.

“All I gotta say, man, is, like, why do we hafta take this chem class to be cops?” Rick tuned back in to his friend just as class was starting. Fortunately, before Mrs. Kirsh was able to begin a monotonous rambling speech about the importance of balancing chemical equations, they were interrupted by a knock on the door, and suddenly a new face appeared.

The new student was tall and well built, with a mop of chestnut hair on his head. Rick leaned toward Shane, “Who’s that?” he whispered as the new kid gave Kirsh a flustered apology and hurried over to the unoccupied seat next to Ashley.

“Now, how ‘m I s’posed to know _that_?” Shane gave a cross reply. Rick looked at his friend in concern before realizing that Shane had caught him staring and was grinning widely.

Rick blushed and pretended not to notice Shane’s smirk as he grabbed for his textbook. “It’s not funny, Shane,” he mumbled after burying his face in his book, pretending to become invested in the warm-up. After completing the first problem –thoroughly ignoring his teacher- Rick chanced another look at the new guy. He was sharing a textbook with Ashley, and seemed to be having no trouble whatsoever with the problem. When chestnut-hair looked up at the board, Rick shoved his head down again quickly. _God, what is wrong with me,_ he thought _I’m acting like a teenage girl._

He turned his attention back to the lesson, but not before Shane caught him looking at the new kid _again_ and shot him another one of those goofy smiles.

*~*~*~*~*

“His name’s Brian,”

The sound of Shane’s voice brought Rick back to earth after staring into his burger. “Sorry, what?” he replied.

Shane sighed, “The new kid. In our chemistry class,” when Rick didn’t respond he added, “The guy you were all over when Mrs. Kirsh was trying to ‘enlighten our minds to the wonders of the world of chemistry’. You weren’t spendin’ near as much time payin’ attention to Kirsch as you were watching the back of his sweet head,”.

Rick stared back at his hamburger. It didn’t have nearly enough pickles; he coulda sworn he asked for extra pickles. He pushed it aside, “I don’t know what yer talkin’ about,” he ventured.

Shane took a big bite out of his own burger, but not before stuffing it with fries. “Well, all I’m sayin’,” he mumbled between bites, “’s that I was talkin’ to Ashley earlier, and we were thinkin’ ‘bout goin’ bowlin’ later this week. She reckon’d it’d be a swell idea to invite newbie over there to come with,” Shane lifted a hand and pointed in a vague direction behind Rick.

Rick spun around and, sure enough, there was Brian, looking somewhat unsure of where to sit in the crowded campus McDonalds. As he looked around, he made eye contact with Rick. Before Rick could open his mouth to invite him over, Shane was waving, “Brian! Brian, come sit with us,” he gave Rick a flirtatious wink before excusing himself to the restroom just as Brian arrived.

Rick looked after Shane helplessly, _please don’t leave me alone... with him- dammit you sly bastard_ , before he turned back to the new kid who was still wavering awkwardly next to the table.

“...h-how did he know my name?” He spoke shyly in a voice which radiated a sound like deep, rich honey _oh lord please take me now_ , and left Rick with a few fries getting squashed in his hand as he sat aloof.

Coming to his senses, Rick dumped the fries and wiped his hand on his jeans saying, “Never mind him- that’s Shane. He’s an asshole but he’s my best friend. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Rick, Rick Grimes,” he made way to offer a greasy hand before quickly withdrawing it, _wow, real smooth, Grimes. Just offer to choke his hand in burger grease and ketchup. You are such a catch. Great way to introduce yourself._ Brian was still standing awkwardly, eyes glued to the floor when Rick kicked himself, _idiot, “_ Oh, please, take a seat,” he gestured to the empty chair.

Brian didn’t seem to notice, Rick’s general strange mannerisms, and promptly took the spot across from him. He sat tensely, before speaking again in his measured, soothing voice, “Well, I’m Brian. Brian Blake, it’s nice to meet you too,” he gave a small smile as he met Rick’s eyes. The edges of Rick’s mouth turned in a small smile as Brian shifted his gaze to the rest of the small eating enclosure, “Wow, this is quite a place, isn’t it?” he said softly.

“Yeah, yeah it is. You’re new here, aren’t you?” Rick said before kicking himself again, _of course he’s new here, duh,_ when Brian turned back to him and smiled again before opening his food bag.

“Yeah, just transferred here last week. Before that it was a two year community college,” he shuddered, “But that didn’t work out for me. Hey, you want some of my fries?” he asked.

“Uh- sure,” Rick replied, “Thanks. So uh- does that make you a sophomore here?”

“Yup, you too?”

“Yeah.”

The two sat in silence as Brian began to eat his food and Rick absentmindedly ate from his fries. Eventually, after what felt like years, Shane returned from the men’s room to sit down with them both.

He glanced at Rick before speaking up, “So- Brian- I understand that you’re new here. Same year as us- if you want, my friend Rick here’ll show you the sights, help you find your way around campus,” his eyes danced evilly as he wore his crooked grin, “He just... he has a _way_ with people, y’know?”

“No, Shane,” Rick sighed, “Just ignore him.” He gave Shane another look that meant _keep out of it or so help me I wil-_

Shane rudely interrupted Rick’s violent thought, “Hey, I was just talkin’ to Rick here,” he started, “and me and him and Ashley were gonna get together Friday night to go bowlin’. You game?”

Surprised, Brian swallowed as he seemed to think the invitation over thoroughly. “...Sure,” he replied nonchalantly, “That’d be awesome, actually,” he flashed a wicked smile.

Rick smiled too as they finalized their meeting plans for Friday, as well as a time for him to show Brian around the campus. As they left the lunchroom, Rick shot daggers at Shane with his eyes. _That sly son of a- wait. No. Shane’s mama is a lovely lady. He just set me up with this guy the same day that he arrived- and now we’re goin’ on a double date Friday night!_ The Rick saw again the beaming grin on Brian’s face as Brian said goodbye and ran off to his math lab, _well, I guess we’ll just hafta see what unfolds,_ Rick thought with a smile. Sometimes, he didn’t know whether to love or hate his best friend, and this was one of those times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, just a quick note: I actually wrote a small blurb about 8th-grade Rick and Shane at a sleepover and it got pretty in-depth toward Rick's feelings and stuff but didn't really fit here... If y'all want me to post it though, I will (as a short separate one-shot) but just tell me what you think! Awesomesauce!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is from Brian's POV. I'll be going from Rick to Brian and sometimes Shane throughout. I won't be repeating events normally though (this chapter is an exception to kinda introduce Brian)

_“Brian!”_

The harsh shout rang in Brian’s head as he jerked awake. _Shit. School. Today._ He stumbled out of bed and hastily pulled on a fresh _-I hope-_ shirt and some almost-fresh jeans. He gave them a brief sniff before tugging them on - _eh,_ _good enough_. Grabbing his backpack from the side of his bead he yelled back, “Coming! I’m awake!” Slipping on a pair of converse, he rushed out of his room and into the kitchen, grabbing a muffin on his way out.

“And, what time does your first class start?” Brian’s older brother, Philip was sitting at the table drinking his coffee as he watched Brian hurry out the door.

Checking his wristwatch Brian cursed. “7:30. Gosh-golly gee,” he said with sarcasm, “it’s chemistry- I’ve got 5 minutes,” he shot Philip a pleading look.

Philip just gave a terse smile, “Sorry kiddo, I’m all booked out for the day. I gotta leave in about 10 minutes for work,” Philip worked at the same garage that Brian worked at in his spare time; they both needed to work in order to afford the small apartment the two shared. “You’d best take your bike,” Philip continued, “Don’t wanna be too late on your first day. Wouldn’t be the best start now would it. Don’t wanna end up in the same way as y’did at that last place,” he added darkly.

Brian thought about arguing, but looking at his watch again he didn’t have the time. After a quick goodbye and grabbing his wallet, he was out the door and pedaling as fast as he could toward campus. Luckily, they had rented a convenient apartment, and it was only a mile and a half away from where Brian needed to be. _That doesn’t make me any less late,_ Brian thought as he scanned his schedule to remind himself where the chemistry class would be. When he finally got there, _Room 273- East wing,_ he took a deep breath before steadying himself and giving a tentative knock on the door. _Well, here goes..._

On entering the classroom, Brian mumbled an apology to the teacher _–Mrs. Kirsh_ \- and scanned the large room worriedly, looking for somewhere to sit. Luckily, he spied an empty chair near the front of the room next to a pretty looking redhead.

Brian made his way over to the vacant spot, and once seated began to unload his things. When he was ready, he turned to his bench partner and introduced himself: “Hi, I’m Brian,” he said shyly.

The girl flashed him a stunning smile, “Hiya! I’m Ashley, nice to meet you! You’re new here, right?” Ashley was talkative and funny, and soon the two were chatting about the most random things; they had a lot in common: Ashley had older brothers herself, and they had a shared passion for classical music. As the end of class bell rang, Ashley gathered up her things and wished Brian good luck on the rest of his first day, “I’ll see you around!” she added with a wink before vanishing into a sea of students.

Dazed, Brian had to clear his head before concentrating on finding his way to his next class.

*~*~*~*~*

After a free period which Brian used to get familiar with the campus library, he decided to go get lunch at the McDonalds on campus. _Wow, this day’s exhausting,_ he thought to himself as he ordered his food before realizing that he didn’t have anyone to sit with. _Shit. Maybe Ashley?-_ on quickly scanning the room, Brian didn’t spot any flash of red hair.

Suddenly, there was a hand. “Brian! Brian,” there was a guy about Brian’s age with short black hair who was waving him over, “Come sit with us,” he pointed at himself and the other guy sitting next to him at the table. Confused, Brian walked over to their table, but before he could ask the short-haired guy anything, he had excused himself to the restroom, leaving Brian standing awkwardly next to the other stranger. _Well, this is awkward_.

In fact, the other guy was just sitting there not saying anything. What happens now? Brian coughed, “....h-how,” _wow, stammering. Way to make a great first impression on,_ “...did he know my name?” he asked, weakly.

Finally, the yet-to-be-named stranger stirred. “Never mind him- that’s Shane,” he started, blue eyes meeting Brian’s gaze. “He’s an asshole, but he’s my best friend. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Rick, Rick Grimes,”

 _It’s nice to meet you too, Rick. You have really nice eyes. Like, really_ really _nice eyes..._

Brian lingered, lost in thought for a minute before Rick intervened, “Oh, please, take a seat,” he offered. Brian sat down gratefully, and introduced himself, “Well, I’m Brian. Brian Blake, it’s nice to meet you too,” _‘nice to meet you too’- how original, Brian_. He gave a small, sheepish smile which was met with a small smile from Rick _. Oh wow he has a nice smile time to change the subject,_ “Wow, this is quite a place, isn’t it?” he said.

Rick grinned again, “Yeah, yeah it is. You’re new here, aren’t you?”

Brian answered, “Yeah, just transferred here last week. Before that it was a two year community college _,” but I had to leave, and I can’t have a repeat of what happened last time._ Brian decided to leave out the problems associated with his last college and leave everything clean and simple, “...but it didn’t work out for me. Hey, you want some of my fries?”

“Uh- sure, thanks. So uh- does that make you a sophomore here?” “Yup, you too?”

“Yeah.”

Brian didn’t really have a response to Rick so they sat in silence for a few minutes. Brian began to tuck in to his burger while Rick absentmindedly ate the majority of his french fries. After a few moments, the first guy came back from the bathrooms and introduced himself as Shane. After a bit of idle conversation, Shane offered Rick to be Brian’s school guide, at which Brian noticed Rick’s eyes widening. He also caught a sly wink from Shane to Rick, which Rick studiously ignored.

Eventually, Shane invited Brian out to a bowling night with Ashley on Friday, which Brian enthusiastically accepted. Then, glancing at the clock, _oh, shit. Late. Again._ Brian grabbed his bag and uttered a hasty goodbye as he rushed off to math class. As he slid in at the last minute, Brian took a seat at the back of the class where he could get some space to think. _Well, this has been an eventfull day,_ he thought to himself, _at least I have a couple of friends!_ He smiled before his spirit was dampened by this morning’s memory: “Don’t wanna end up in the same way as y’did at that last place,” Philip shot darkly. _He’s right... I don’t wanna mess anything up. Not like at that last college._ With that thought, Brian began to file all images of his new friend, Rick, and his baby-blue eyes and soft lips out of his mind. _Thoughts like these cause trouble, and... trouble’s the last thing I need,_ he said to himself silently, the image of Rick’s smile still in his mind’s eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Philip is Brian's older brother! This story is following the precedent set by "Road to Woodbury" which is a book for Walking Dead. I won't give too much away but I hope that clarifies why The Governor is Brian and stuff. Thanks again for reading!!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick, Shane, Ashley and Brian go bowling and to a movie. Fluff warning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's way longer than the others! And the POV kind of shifts semi-fluidly from Rick to Brian and stuff.

Rick stood in front of his bathroom frowning. He held up a fuchsia and purple plaid shirt, and then his dark-grey patterned shirt. They were both identical in style; classic flannel button-ups. He sighed before setting both aside and focusing on shaving his chin stubble and running a comb through his hair. He slathered on some cologne, not too much, Rick, before glancing in the mirror again and leaving the bathroom.

“Shane!” Rick called. When his roommate didn’t reply right away, he rapped loudly on Shane’s bedroom door. “Shane!” he said again persistently.

After a thud of someone scrambling out of bed, Rick hear Shane’s reply, “’m up! ‘m awake! What time is- shit we’re leaving soon right?”

Rick rolled his eyes, “Yes, Shane we gotta go now if we want tah get there on time,” he paused, “Hey I need your opinion on something,”

He took a step back as Shane came crashing out of his room, pulling a tight blue shirt over his head. “Yeah, what?” he asked, wondering why Rick only had on a white tank top.

“Plaid or pattern?” Rick asked hopefully, showing his friend the two shirts.

“Shit, man, you’re supposed to be the gay one here, I don’t know nothin’ about anythin’... I’m the last person you should be taking fashion advice from,” Shane complained sarcastically. He gave Rick a once-over glance before adding, “Pattern. Definitely. Darker colors go well with your paler complexion dammit and all that purple’s gonna make yah look like a walkin’ bruise,” he gave a lopsided grin.

Rick smiled, “Thanks.” Shane wasn’t looking too shabby himself; a pair of black jeans, blue converse and a matching shirt went well with his striking black hair. Rick himself had on a pair of dark blue jeans, black and white adidas, and now had his dark grey patterned flannel rolled to his elbows in that attractive way. As they headed out the door, Rick remembered to tuck his shirt in before slipping on his jean jacket _it’s getting’ a little cooler out. Well, I guess it’s the end of October..._ while Shane wore a well-fitting leather jacket.

Together, the two boys got into Shane’s car to head out to the bowling alley and meet up with Brian and Ashley for pizza. As they pulled out of the parking lot, Rick bit his lip, and found himself gazing out the window, thinking about what Brian was doing at that moment.

*~*~*~*~*

After a quick shower, Brian found himself absent-mindedly pulling on a random pair of jeans and his favorite red striped shirt. Giving himself a quick glance in the mirror, he made sure he didn’t have anything in his teeth, _hope my breath doesn’t smell funny,_ he tested it before deciding he was okay. He eyed his older brother’s hair gel before deciding that a Friday night was not a good time to experiment with new hairstyles and instead combed it carefully. _Oh! Don’t forget deodorant,_ he remembered before leaving the bathroom on his way out.

He wrote a brief note for his brother before leaving the apartment, _‘gone out bowling with friends. Be home late- don’t wait up’_ and sat on the steps to wait for his ride.

After about 5 minutes, a bright red convertible arrived. Rolling down the window, Ashley flashed him a bright smile, “Hey, you! Who’s ready for a good night?” Brian grinned before clambering in to the front seat.

“Wow, nice car,” was all he could think to say. Although he worked with cars at the garage 3 or 4 days a week, he didn’t actually have one of his own, and the small amount of money he made went toward renting the apartment with Philip.

“Thanks,” Ashley responded before putting it in drive. Brian put a neutral smile on his face as Ashley began to chatter away, and he found himself looking forward to the night’s plans.

*~*~*~*~*

When the four met up at the bowling alley, the first thing everyone did was change out their shoes. As they waited in line, they made idle chatter about the best things about college and about Brian’s life before moving to the Atlanta area.

Brian answered all questions enthusiastically- he was born and raised in Georgia, but hadn’t lived in a metropolitan area until he started attending Georgia State University a few days before. He described how he had moved in with his older brother in a small apartment and was going through college funded mostly by long-term student loans. Before moving there, he had lived in a small town with a small community, a small school system, everyone knew everyone. After trying the local college for a little over a year he had found the tiny community too stifling and decided he needed a change in his life.

Ashley was from Atlanta itself- her dad was a CEO in one of the cities’ corporate offices. She planned to transfer from Atlanta State to John Marshal Law School at the end of the year- she planned on becoming a lawyer. She had two older brothers who had gone the same route, and were now successful when representing her father’s company and working for them full-time. Ashley, however, didn’t want to do that, she dreamed of eventually moving out of state into a big city- D.C. or New York.

Rick and Shane were both from right outside Atlanta- they had lived in the same neighborhood growing up, and parental friendship essentially forced them to hang out since birth. They were now both going to college to get Bachelors’ degrees before eventually joining the police force training regime in a few years. Rick didn’t know quite what he was going to do with his future- he hoped one day to rise up in policeman ranks, but was mostly concerned with helping people and enforcing the law, as was Shane.

Grimacing, Brian laughed, “Well, y’all seem to have your futures mostly figured out! I don’t know any of this stuff... maybe I’ll be a... teacher?” he asked, “Yeah, a teacher of... history? Computer Science? Astronomy? I literally have no idea,” he added bashfully.

Rick replied, “Well, I don’t think none of us are all _completely_ sure what we’re gonna do. But that’s what college is for- making mistakes and figuring out what tah do in life,”

“I guess so,” Brian said doubtfully, “I just kinda wish I had stuff sorted out, y’know? I dunno what I want from life yet,” “Yeah, I know the feeling,” Rick was sympathetic. _In fact, I still don’t know what I want,_ he thought as he stared after Brian when the other man walked towards their bowling lane in his fresh shoes.

*~*~*~*~*

“’kay, we’re gonna split in’tah two teams- you an’ me,” Shane pointed to Ashley, “Versus those two,” he motioned toward Brian and Rick. Smiling, Shane then grabbed a green bowling ball and handed it to his partner, “Ladies first,”

The two teams ended up being pretty evenly matched; though Brian had never played before in his life, he caught on quickly and turned out to be a superb player. Rick wasn’t too shabby himself, even though, as Shane put it, “There’s a reason we’re playin’ with the bumpers over the gutters!”. Shane himself was pretty okay, but overshadowed by Ashley, who scored two strikes in a row. At the end of the day, it was close, but Shane and Ashley ended up winning and started an impromptu performance of ‘ _We are the Champions’_ before Shane was swatted over the head by Rick.

As they left the bowling alley, Ashley announced that she had to be home early because she had to go out and meet one of her brothers for breakfast in the city the next morning. Shane offered to drive Brian home later that night, so they parted and Brian took the back seat as the three boys got into Shane’s car.

“So... Who’s up for a movie?” Shane announced. “It’s only what... 9? 9:30,”

“I dunno,” said Brian, “What’s playing?”

“Not much at the moment, I don’t think,” Rick intervened, “But ‘ _Gattaca_ ’ actually premiered today, we could give that a try,”

“Sounds good to me. Brian?”

“Yeah, sounds great. And I don’t have to be home anytime soon,” he added.

*~*~*~*~*

They made it to the theater right as the opening credits began to roll. After finding themselves seats, Shane excused himself to get them popcorn and sodas while Rick and Brian began to watch the movie.

It really was a great film; Rick was secretly a sci-fi geek and loved the explored concept of genetically modified people in an ominous, futuristic sense. Brian liked it too- he found that he actually identified a lot with the older brother, _I can’t seem to do much of anything right- Philips always the perfect one. Philip’s got a girlfriend. Philip’s got a new car. Philip this, Philip that,_ he thought,rather resentfully as the happy couple ignored their ‘inferior’ son in light of their ‘perfect’ son. The scene where he finally broke away from the mold and outswam his younger brother was his favorite part _–even though I feel like I’m drowning..._ Shane, however, liked best the entire transition- the ingenious amount of effort it took for the protagonist to prepare himself for work every day, just to fulfill his dreams. _Dang, I wish I had that kind of work ethic,_ he thought, _that kinda stamina and devotion is what I need._

Throughout the movie itself, Brian was distracted by the fact that he and Rick shared an armrest; at one point in the movie, he got up, went to the bathroom and came back. When he returned, Rick’s arm was laying on the armrest casually, an almost-open hand waiting calmly. Awkwardly, Brian sat back down and brushed his arm against Rick’s.

Rick was also distracted by the feeling of Brian’s arm softly seated next to his, _is it weird that my heart rate just went up? Oh, god it’s just an arm for Pete’s sake!_ before Brian settled and his arm rested there for the rest of the film. Leaving the theater, everyone was silent because it was some time past midnight and everyone was pretty beat.

“Dammit,” Shane said suddenly after pulling out of the lot, “I forgot. I gotta go home and get packed- I forgot I gotta visit Mom tomorrow mornin’,”

“Well, our place is only a 2 minute drive from here,” Rick said, “If you want a little extra time, I’ll drop you off and then take Brian home,”

*~*~*~*~*

Suddenly being alone in the car, Brian had moved up to the passenger’s seat. They kept the conversation to a minimum as Brian directed Rick to his smaller apartment on the other side of town; while he lived near the school, Rick and Shane rented an apartment in the opposite direction. Once the car came to a halt, Brian saw that his brother wasn’t home for the night yet. _Just as well._

Before getting out of the car, Brian sat there for a minute, carefully thinking through what he was going to say next. Eventually, he decided on, “Thanks for bein’ so nice tah me this week. I really appreciate it- y’all are pretty cool,” he paused before adding, “I really had a good time tonight.” _I’m glad it’s dark out,_ he thought, as he didn’t want Rick to see him blushing.

Rick’s hand wavered near the clutch as he subconsciously stopped himself from taking Brian’s hand. “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I... I really had a good time, too,” _Dammit my ears are getting’ red again..._

“See ya Monday, then,” Brian said, and before he got out of the car he leaned in for a quick, one-armed hug. _Guys do this all the time, right?_

Surprised, Rick hugged back, and thought that it lasted a little bit longer than one usually would between friends.

Letting go, Brian caught a whiff of Rick’s cologne. “mmh y’ smell really nice,” he mumbled wistfully before catching himself and realizing what he had just said. “I-I mean... umm...” he fumbled, “Have a good night!” he left the car abruptly, slamming the door shut behind him. _Dammit, Brian, you had one shot at making a friend, and you blow it. Pathetic._ He fumbled for his apartment keys, _where are they, godammit,_ when he heard the other car door slam shut, and Rick’s footsteps coming up behind him.

 _Shit_.

“L-look, I didn’t- I wouldn’t- I... I don’t want any trouble,” he started as he turned around to face Rick.

Rick just stood there, wide eyed, and the slowly reached out his hand to steady Brian’s trembling one. He looked Brian right in the eyes, “Hey. It’s okay,” he said before drawing Brian in for another hug. At first, Brian’s shoulders were tense – as if he thought Rick was going to throw him away like _‘the piece of garbage you are’_ and make fun of him. Then, as Rick held him, Brian began to melt into his embrace, eventually hugging back.

Once they broke free, Rick studied Brian’s fearful eyes closely before murmuring, “It’s alright, everything’s okay.” Brian gazed back into the other man’s clear, honest blue eyes, and then down to his lightly parted lips, now only inches away. Maybe...

Before Brian could finish the thought, or even knew what was happening, Rick closed the distance between them and kissed him softly. Brian fell completely into the other man’s arms as he grabbed the back of Rick’s head and threaded his fingers through Rick’s thick brown hair. Breaking apart, Rick cupped Brian’s face as they kissed again, this time hungry for more.

Finally, Brian knew whaat they meant in the books when they described the _fireworks,_ the _chemistry_ \- he was ever so lost in _Rick_ , his very essence- his hair, his smell, his soft, pink lips and the inside of his mouth which tasted of stale pizza and popcorn and soda and it felt _so right_. Rick felt the same way, the feeling of _Brian_ in his arms, his hand doing all kinds of things with Rick’s hair, the taste of Brian's greedy tongue as it explored his mouth and it was _heaven_ , and everything was, in that moment of time, perfect.

Eventually the two broke apart, and this time Brian saw the color flushed on Rick’s face, and the two stared at each other in silent longing. After a moment of silence, Rick spoke up, “Well, I, for one, had an amazing evening tonight,”

Brian smiled, and this time it truly met his eyes. “I... I did too,” he said shyly, “D-do.. d’ya think maybe we could do this again?” he asked, all of a sudden nervous but hopeful.

Rick frowned, “But yah haven’t even bought me dinner yet!” he said. Brian’s smile faltered before he realized what Rick was saying.

“All right then, if yah wanna play hard-to-get,” he paused, thinking, “How about we go out... Just you an’ me this time. You can show me one of the fancy places ‘round here. My treat if you drive,” he ventured.

Rick smiled, “It’s a date,” he said before giving Brian another brief peck on the lips, and leaving for the car. Brian watched as he got in, turned on his lights and started driving home. Only then did he realize that he had yet to find his keys, that it was a cold October in the middle of the night, and he didn’t care one bit. He went to bed grinning ear-to-ear at the experience he had just had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it okay? Please let me know if my writing is weird or awkward in any way!! I'd really appreciate it, and I hope you like!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane, Rick, Ashley and Brian are hanging out and preparing for Halloween on Friday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to this chapter, it's a bit shorter than I would like but here it is!

Brian entered his apartment in a daze, _I can’t believe what just happened_. He smiled giddily before tossing his shoes on the floor and flopping into bed. He fell asleep happily, thoughts of Rick’s warm blue eyes acting as a lullaby.

*~*~*~*~*

When Rick got home, Shane was spread out on the couch flipping through the late night channels. As soon as Rick walked in, he sprang up and turned around, elbows propped on the back of the couch. “So...” he asked in a careful tone, face blank.

Rick scrutinized him, “...what?” he asked tentatively.

“Tell me what _happened!”_ Shane gave a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. Rick walked over and made to shove Shane’s head down, but the black-haired boy ducked out of the way too fast and kept pressing. “C’mon, tell me, _tell me_ what happened,” he begged, making faux puppy-eyes.

Rick sighed, “Don’t ya’ hafta get ready to visit yer ma tomorrow?” he asked, changing the subject.

Shane snorted, “Of course not! I visited her last week. Now. Tell. Me. What. _Happened_.”

“... wait. waddaya mean ya don’t gotta visit- hey! You set us up,” Rick realized, “You knew that if we were alo-...” he trailed off, _dangit I was thinkin’ out loud again..._ He blushed.

That was enough incentive for Shane to let out a loud whoop, “I knew it!”

Rick scowled at his friend while turning an even darker shade of red as he stalked off to his own room. Exhausted, he yanked off his collared shirt and fell into bed, drifting into a content sleep.

*~*~*~*~*

When Brian woke up the next day, he came into the kitchen for a bowl of Special K and found his older brother waiting there. _Shit. I forgot about the note._ He got himself a bowl and grunted an acknowledgment of his brother’s existence before pouring his cereal and beginning to retreat back to his room.

“’Bowling with friends’,” Came the perturbed voice from his brother. Brian turned around. “’Be back late’ what exactly were you doing out so late?” he asked, eyes narrowed.

Brian paled before responding, “Like I said, bowling. I met some new people- Rick,” _Rick,_ “Shane and Ashley. Ashley’s in a few of my classes,”

“mm-hmm,” Philip made a noise of disagreement. “We’ll be talkin’ about the kind of people you’re allowed to ‘hang out’ with later. Not now.” He returned to the day’s paper, finished talking to Brian.

Shivering, Brian went back to his room quickly with his cereal and stayed there for most of the day. _I won’t let him run my life,_ he decided. _I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do, and I don’t have to listen to everything he says._

*~*~*~*~*

The next few days went by in somewhat of a blur. Rick, Shane, Brian and Ashley ate lunch together most days, and Rick showed Brian around campus. Ashley and Shane started to hang out more, and by Wednesday it had been decided that the four were going to spend Halloween together.  

“I have an idea!” Shane exclaimed at the start of lunch on Wednesday. The rest of the group turned to him silently, his queue to continue. “Well, guess what we can do for costumes,” Shane continued.

Realizing that he wanted them to guess, Rick obliged. “Teletubbies,”

“Idiot,” Shane said fondly. “C’mon anyone else?” Evidently nobody felt like indulging Shane, and his request was met with silence. He sighed, “Y’all are no fun,” before continuing, “We’re gonna be the Ghostbusters! Us three will be the main ones, and Ashley gets to be Sigourney Weaver,” “Umm,” Brian started, “Where exactly are we gonna get Ghostbusters costumes? I mean, it’s just that Halloween’s in like... three days, so,”

“Don’t you worry yer pretty little head none,” Shane said, “I’ll handle it.”

Rick and Brian looked at each other before bursting out into laughter in front of a confused Shane. Rick knew that Shane would find the costumes somehow. It was how, exactly. That he preferred not to be made aware of. As soon as Shane walked off with Ashley, Rick glanced around the lunch area before talking in a hushed tone to Brian.

“Hey,” he began, and swallowed. _He really has nice eyes,_ he thought as Brian focused his gaze on Rick. “So, about Friday...” he leaned in looking worried. Brian’s face paled and his eyes shifted nervously, _oh no... he’s already regretting it, I gotta figure out how to back out of this..._ “Uh- um- I understand if you don’t wanna- what I’m tryin’ to say is ya shouldn’t have ta-” Rick cut him off.

“When do you wanna h-hang out?” He blurted. Surprised, Brian looked back up.

“...Ya still wanna... You know...” he trailed off, looking at Rick in wonder. _Why would anyone like a guy like me?_

Grinning, Rick replied, “Well, ya said you was gonna take me out, and what kinda person would I be to stand up an offer of a free meal?”

His confidence restored, Brian smiled again, this time blushing. “Okay! Great! I mean uh-” _I sound way to ecstatically happy and overjoyed,_ “Cool. How ‘bout Thursday evening? Ya said before the Halloween thing, right?” “Well the party doesn’t start till ten, and nobody’s gonna show up till way later. So we could try for Friday, if you’d rather,”

“Perfect! Wonderful!” _Again, with the excitement,_ “Sounds like a date!” Brian blurted before reddening even more.

Rick smirked before repeating, “Sounds like a date.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be a bit longer, and mostly focused on Rick and Brian as well as the Halloween party aftermath.


End file.
